Sunday, May 31, 2009

Head for the Hills...

This has been a lovely weekend, weatherwise. Today was best of all being hot and sunny all day. Thats the thing about good weather though, no time for blogging! Its light until 10.30pm so I never have time at the computer...



Just time for sitting in the garden with the terrier...

Right back to the job in hand.

As promised the other day, these are the Star of Bethlehem in flower on the cliff path. Nice when open. As soon as the sun goes in they shut tight.




Today JWR and me headed off up the Cheviot Valleys again in preparation for Tuesday, but more of that later in the week...

We had a good morning with some interesting birds showing quite well.



Above - This is one of two Ravens that flew close over head. Both were well into moult...They flushed quite a few birds up from the moor including ...



...at least 2 pairs of Ring Ouzels with this bright female ( she did not have the silver wing flashes of the male, and he was singing nearby anyway) with a beak full of food for nestlings showing particularly well. She was 'chacking' at us so we must have been close to the nest before we left her in peace...

Also up here were a few pairs of Whinchat, a pair each of Stonechat and Wheatear, a pair of Green Woodpecker at the nest hole, a few Lesser Redpolls including a very bright red male and a few Buzzards. 2 male Red Grouse were in dispute on the hill, and a female Red Grouse briefly had us in the Greyhen camp before we finally saaw sense. 2 Small Heaths were the only butterflies seen...




Above - Following on with the fish list these two Perch were in the river Breamish at Powburn on our way home. Come on bloggers, get more fish images out there!

Back home, a nice walk at tea time to the pond was very warm..



...the pond was a tranquil place to be.


Nothing new on the bird front but a hyper active Painted Lady was in the meadow alongside these two moths that were slightly easier to get close to...



Above - Silver Ground Carpet and...



...Chimney Sweeper.


11pm edit - Oh I forgot to add, as the month comes to a close, on Friday night 35 Canada Geese(93) dropped into the pond and tonight at 10pm a Common Sandpiper was calling on the rocks below the coast path (94)...94 species in May, I wonder what June brings...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice one, Stewart.
Not seen a Chimney Sweeper for a few years. Those SoB`s are beauties.

Ghost of Stringer said...

I have a huge uk fish list.... most of them in the hand ! Used to be coarse fishing mad before the birds took over....

Tench is my personal fave.. a beautiful fish !! Tinca tinca, a cool latin name too !

Warren Baker said...

know what you mean about the all day sunshine Stewart. Its hard come home and stop watching! 94 for May, only 22 more than me :-)

Birding about Northumberland said...

The good weather has been lovely, I sat in the garden till late last night and I loved watching the House Martins in our street we have at least 10 pairs now and a delight.

Stewart said...

D - We get a few Sweeps up here though they are in localised pockets.

G - I have a canny one too as I was a Coarse, Game and Sea angler in my youth!

W - Pleased with 94 Warren, I hope I get 60 for June!

M - Nothing like the trilling and chattering of House Martins in the summer....

Skev said...

Here you are Stewart - here's my pathetic fish blogging effort to date:
http://skevsblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/brocks-hill-09052009.html

Think I'll stick to moths.

JRandSue said...

Great Moth Images.
John.